Convenience
by twostrandsofmelody
Summary: Éponine and Enjolras discover that being alone has it's downsides, but a life made out convenience can one day be met with a heart full of love.  AU
1. Chapter 1

"Monsieur Enjolras, will you talk to him for me?"

"What?" Enjolras put down his book, looking across the room at Éponine, "What are you going on about, girl?"

"Marius," Éponine looked at him a little exasperated, "I have been standing here talking to you about Marius, for several moments now. If you'd just put you damn books down for a minute."

"Don't talk out of place Éponine," Enjolras warned, sticking his finger in his book to mark his place. "You have my attention now."

"I was askin' you if you'd talk to Marius for me." Éponine blushed, shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Éponine, stop wasting your time on him. Haven't heard his constant prattle about the angel in the park?"

"Yes!" Éponine snapped, frowning. "I'm just tired of being alone! You do not understand what it's like."

"As a matter of fact, I quite like being alone." Enjolras motioned to his book, "It gives time for reflection and study."

Éponine pulled the chair at the table with Enjolras out, sitting down in front of him. "For one thing I can't read much more than my name and a few things that I've learned around the Inn. Secondly, I'd just like to 'ave someone. Someone to hold me and someone to be there for me."

Enjolras laughed, "It's not all its cut out to be in my opinion. Who wants to have to be accountable to another person at all times?"

"I would." Éponine wrung her hands together, "Someone 'sides my parents."

He chuckled again, sitting his book down on the table, "That I can see with you."

"It's not funny Monsieur! You'd not be laughing if you knew what they expected of me."

"And what would that be?"

"No," She shook her head, "Its unpleasant things."

"It cannot be any worse than you and you're want to be married."

"A prostitute." Éponine bit back, glaring at him. "But you're a man and I'm sure you think it's a perfectly suitable job for an urchin girl, with pretty hair and a pretty body."

Enjolras looked away, shaking his head. "I think I must be carrying myself all wrong if you think I'm the kind of gentleman that supports such a vulgar life."

"Well." Éponine pursed her lips, "If you don't talk to Marius and convince him to fall in love with me that's what'll 'appen."

Enjolras shook his head laughing at her, "Because a life with a boy who will never love you is a better life than one where you can at least earn a living."

"I do not want to sell myself many times an evening. If you saw the man my father's picked to 'ave first pickings at me, you would be sick." Éponine crossed her across her chest, "It's not the life I ever imagined 'aving."

"And what did you picture?"

She smiled, a faraway look in her eyes. "A strong, handsome, dark haired man. He would love me and he would keep me company whenever I felt lonely. We walked around the city hand in hand, or he could even walk beside me with his arm around my waist. He wouldn't think of me as just a poor foolish girl, a foolish ugly girl. He would see me as so much more."

Enjolras stared at her across the table, a smile on his lips.

"You think that I am foolish. Do not sit there and mock me!" She snarled, jerking up from the chair and rushing past him. He grabbed her arm in one swift move, "Let me go monsieur."

"I never said I thought you were a poor foolish ugly girl. Did I?" His lips curved up in a smirk.

"I do not understand," She glanced down at where his hand was tightly grasping her wrist.

"You are foolish, yes, for believing that Marius could ever be anymore than a spoiled boy. But, I have never thought that you were anymore than a mistreated girl who could have been, _so much more_."

Éponine felt a tremble rise up her throat as she looked down at Enjolras, "You do not mean this. You only mean to distract from Marius. Or even worse you intend to be the man that puts me on a street corner."

"I intend to do neither." Enjolras responded, his hand sliding up and down her arm.

"Then what do you intend to do?" Her eyes flickered closed as his hand moved against her skin. Is that what it felt like to be touched with a caring hand?

"I am content in my own solitary life, but I am not against having someone to share it with."

"No.. You don't mean that." Éponine laughed harshly, jerking away from his touch. "It cannot be true. No one would realistically want me."

"You were once in better circumstance, I know this. You can become someone accepted wherever you go." Enjolras rose to his feet, looking down at her.

She stared at the ground unable to look up at him. "You cannot mean this."

"Look at me Éponine." She looked up, his hand cupping her cheek. "What can I do to prove it?"

"Kiss me." She answered quickly, gulping back the lump in her throat.

Enjolras tilted her chin up; bring his lips down towards hers. Their lips brushed against each other in a feather like kiss. She was about to say that that did not count, when his lips met her lips fully. She gasped into the kiss as his hands moved to wrap around her waist and the other cupped the back of her head.

"You cannot really want me." Éponine pulled away from the kiss, her eyes wide with fear. "I could be any other girl."

"Have you seen me with any other girls?"

Éponine shook her head, "No."

"Exactly," He murmured, kissing her cheek, her jaw, her neck.

"Monsieur.." She closed her eyes, enjoying his touch more than she was willing to admit.

"My books have always kept me satisfied, they have romance and action." He pulled back, looking down at her and pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Then why now? Why me?"

"Why not you? You are a loyal woman, you are honest, you are naturally intelligent, you could be gorgeous, and-"

"Stop, stop, stop." She pulled away from him, sinking into the chair closest to her. "Just stop. I want to believe you. I do.. But I have known too many women who have told me to be weary of men who promise you everything."

"I'm promising you nothing." Enjolras retorted, "I'm telling you that I find you companionable. I can rescue you from this life you fear you'll be forced into. I can offer you shelter, a comfortable life, friendship, companionship. Everything you asked for. I will not offer undying love, the love of a friend yes. A marriage of convenience."

"Marriage?" Her eyes shot open wider. "You lie."

"I will take you to the Mayor and ask for a licence tonight."

"You say you like your life to be lived alone."

"But, I would not be against having someone to talk to about my philosophies and what I am reading. The boys here at the cafe are getting bored with me."

Éponine laughed, "This is all too much."

"Then you want to become a prostitute?"

"No! But you told me it would be no worse than marrying Marius! How is a marriage of convenience to you any better?"

"Because Marius will break your heart when he finds someone else to give his attentions to, but I have no desires to be the great romancer he illusions to be."

"Fine."

"Fine what?" Enjolras cocked his eye brow.

Éponine nodded her head, standing up slowly. "Let's go to the Mayor tonight. We can be wed in the morning."

"You mean it? You want this?"

"I have no choice, if I wait around for Marius, I am sure I will end up being forced into selling body to some lowlife man of power. If I marry you I can have a safe life.."

"Éponine," He smiled. "I am glad that you understand all of this. I just want what's best for you."

"Yes, yes. And I understand that you do not want you friends to think that you are comfortable with your life as an abstaining monk." They both shared a mocking glance, both bursting out in laughter.

"You see, we can mock one another and laugh together. That is all that is needed for a life spent in shared solitude," Enjolras gave her a grin.

Éponine reached her hand towards his, slow and unsurely. "All I need is someone who will be by my side when I need them." Her fingers slowly wrapped around his, both were watching the action.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

**A/N: After because I wanted the jump start at the beginning. Enjolras = Ramin Karimloo and Éponine = Samantha Barks. **


	2. Chapter 2

"A license please Monsieur le Mayor," Enjolras asked, glancing to his right at Éponine who was hiding behind him. "We would like to be wed soon."

"Your names?" The Mayor questioned, looking aggravated for being bothered.

"Enjolras Baudin and Éponine Thénardier_._" Enjolras responded, taking hold of her hand.

"You are willing to marry him?" The Mayor nodded to Enjolras, glaring at Éponine.

"Yes Monsieur."

"You seem scared," He narrowed his eyes, searching Éponine's face.

"I only am scared that you would think me an unsuited candidate to marry him." Éponine responded, a tremble in her voice.

Enjolras gave her hand a squeeze, "She thinks that just because she has fallen down the classes, that I would not want her any longer, but she is wrong." He gave her a warm smile, which she returned. She knew that they were pretending to be two love stricken people, when in reality they were only marrying because it worked for them.

"Sign here," The Mayor spoke after scribbling on a sheet of parchment. "Read and then sign your names."

Éponine gave Enjolras a weary glance, "It's alright I will read it to you." Enjolras read over the page before telling her what it said, "We will be signing that we agree to the laws of the Lord and of France for the bonds of marriage. We are signing that we pledge to each other and that we will consummate the marriage to make it legal within the duration of the year. The marriage must also produce at least one heir within two years time."

Éponine hid her fear, a marriage of convenience should not have to produce children or have those kinds of things in it.

"I agree to it," She signed her name as best she could on the parchment.

"As do I." Enjolras agreed, signing his name contrastingly neat and perfect.

"You can find a church in the morning and be wed," The Mayor glanced over the parchment a final time before handing it to Enjolras. "Now, I'd like to get some sleep. Good night." The Mayor escorted them from the house.

"Tomorrow is not long away." Éponine said quietly, staring at the ground.

"I know this is an awful lot for you, but do not worry." Enjolras rubbed her back gently, "With rebellion in the air they will not be checking on the records any time soon. You don't have to worry about that."

"I'm not worried about _that_!" Éponine retorted, laughing a little. "Alright, only a little bit, but not that much." She turned and hugged him suddenly, "Thank you."

Enjolras chuckled, hugging her back. "I could thank you too."

~o~

"Do you Éponine Thénardier promise to take Enjolras Baudin to be your husband?"

"I do."

"Do you Enjolras Baudin promise to take Éponine Thénardier to be your wife?"

"I do."

They could both thank Enjolras for asking that the priest remove all of the loving and cherishing parts of the vows out. They would care for each other, and be there for one another but they did not need to draw the ceremony out with empty vows.

"I now pronounce you Monsieur and Madame Baudin. You may now kiss the bride."

They both paused for a moment; they had already kissed after all. Enjolras leaned in, kissing her gently. He had always been buried in his books, ever since he could read. While the others had been running around finding whatever willing hussy would go to their beds he was busy with a mountain of books in his bed. Éponine was the first woman he had kissed meaningfully. There had been a few impromptu pecks here and there from a drunken woman or two, it had never been substantial. He could honestly say that the romance had never really interested him anymore than reading about it.

Éponine pulled back from the kiss, giving him a quick smile. "Is that all then?" She questioned the priest, looking down at her grubby clothes. The longer she stayed in the church in those clothes the more she felt unwelcome. Enjolras had offered to buy her a dress but she didn't want him to waste his money on her. Sure, she was certain he would convince her to let him buy her a new dress but she would not waste it on their wedding. It was an empty wedding first of all. She'd agreed to it, and understood it was only because it was beneficial to them both, that there was no love or romance in it. And to her that did not warrant a fancy dress to make her look like someone she was not. They did not even have rings yet.

"Yes, that is all that is required. I will await the day when I can christen your child." They both gave a stiff smile, as they

~o~

The ABC Cafe was full of the rebels, drinking and laughing and playing games. Éponine and Enjolras entered, trying to look as innocent as possible. Neither one was really ready to admit to their friends that they had decided to get married; eventually it would need to come out but not now.

Éponine had cleaned herself up more than she had usually cared to; she'd brushed her curls out and cleaned the dirt smudges off of her face and arms. Her clothes were still her normal ragged and patched skirt and her stained chemise like top.

"'Ponine!" Marius shouted, raising his glass. "Come play a game with us." She glanced towards Enolras, who nodded.

"You do not have to ask my permission about who you can be around. I'm going to go find an empty room to do some reading." He gave her arm a squeeze before walking past.

"What was Enjolras on about?" Marius asked as Éponine sank into a chair at his table.

"Nothing, just something about telling you all he'd be in his room." She gave a charming smile, as waved for the dice. "I'll go now."

"You look like a right Madamemoiselle, 'Ponine" Gavroche commented, giving her a wink. "I'd have to say, did it rain last night to make you look so clean." Truth couldn't be told but she was no Madamemoiselle any longer.

"No, no Gavroche, I just washed my face off this morning. I thought why not start fresh today? Plenty of mucking about to do today!" Éponine chuckled, rolling the dice as they played the game.

"Her name's Cosette, 'Ponine." Marius spoke, taking a sip of his drink. "She said she was dreaming of me since we both saw each other that eve in the park."

"Cosette?" The name rang a bell with her, "Pretty little thing?"

"Yes."

"Lithe and angelic?"

"Yes!"

"A father, never a mother around?"

"Yes. You know her?"

"No.. Well, there was a girl that worked for my parents. Ten years ago now. Her mother was a prostitute paying for us to keep her daughter. Then one day we got notice that poor Fantine was now in heaven, and then a man came and took Cosette away."

"Could it be her?" Marius looked down at his mug, swirling it in his palms.

" 'tis a popular name. Bet you'd not find another Éponine around!" She grinned, tapping Gavroche on the nose. "But each of us are one o' a kind."

"I'd toast to that." Gavroche raised his mug, and the table took around of toasts.

Éponine couldn't help but still look at Marius with unfaltering adoration. Even though Enjolras and she were not truly a legal union until they finalised their marriage, she felt betrayal towards her saving grace when she sat here with Marius. She could have ended up like Cosette's mother Fantine if they had not been married.

She always remembered her mother saying she'd dreamed of a prince and all she got was a louse of a husband. At least Éponine had found someone she got along with and would care for each other. What more could she ask for?

**A/N: Baudin means brave in French. So I figured since Enjolras does not have a given name, I'd give him a nice fitting surname!**


	3. Chapter 3

Enjolras was now the first married man at the ABC Cafe. He had never pictured himself with a wife in toe. Had it really been one of his better plans? In his novels marriage had always seemed to be something that every girl dreamed of and every man wanted. You weren't a pinnacle of society until you had married well and produced heirs. Éponine was not what most would consider marrying well, and neither was interested in having children.

Thinking about all of this was keeping him from reading the novel he had been trying to read when this had all started.

What would the boys of the ABC have to say about their marriage? For Éponine's sake what would Marius say? When the revolution began what would become of Éponine if he fell in battle? Would she be forced into the life he was saving her from?

All of these questions that they had not thought about to answer before signing the license and speaking their vows.

Enjolras sat his book down on the table heavily, aggravated with himself. He left the room, going back out into the main room.

"Enjolras, come drink with us." Grantaire called, pulling the chair out beside him.

"Exactly what the doctor ordered," he laughed as he grabbed a mug and took a long sip of ale. His eyes met Éponine's as he sat down between her and Grantaire.

Éponine gave him a fleeting smile, before turning her attentions back to the table. "Deal." She called, motioning for another set of cards.

~o~

"Eventually we are going to have to tell them," Éponine said as she turned to see Enjolras following behind her. She had left the Cafe a few minutes before he had, to make it less noticeable that they were leaving together.

"I , just how to tell them."

"Hullo everyone, Éponine and I got married the other day. We can leave out the parts that it's not a real marriage, it's to keep me from a life of prostitution and you from not having anyone to talk to."

"Éponine," He shook his head, "If you want out of this you can. It was just one of those brash ideas I'm known for."

"No, no. I am very thankful for this. It is going to work out for both of us. It's just." She stared at the cobblestones beneath her feet. "It's just strange and new. We'll be fooling everyone we know into believing this is a romance to end all others."

"I think we're both very good actors." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

She wrapped her arm around his waist, leaning against him as they walked. "Does your home have a spare room?"

"It's a flat above a shop, it only has one bedroom but I'll just make my bed in the main room."

"No, no-"

"You get the bedroom."

Éponine sighed in defeat, "Thank you."

"First thing tomorrow, however, we are going to commission a new dress for you. Can't have my wife wearing tattered rags." Enjolras laughed, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

~o~

If having to sleep a room away from Enjolras had felt awkward to Éponine, having a dress commission felt even more awkward. The dress maker kept trying different styles on her and having Enjolras come and look at it. She wasn't going to complain because after all it was his money.

The three of them had finally settled on a simple green coloured dress that flowed nicely and didn't make her look like she was drowning in a dress that didn't fit her style.

"Should we wait for the dress to be finished being altered before telling the Cafe?"

Éponine burst out laughing, "I think if I showed up well groomed and on your arm I think it would speak louder than words."

"They're probably already wondering why we have arrived, left, and are now arriving together."

"No one else has seemed interested in escorting me around," Éponine replied as they got closer to the Cafe.

"It has been my pleasure to escort you around, Éponine." Enjolras gave a mock bow, before giving her quick kiss on her cheek.

"All these kisses and you might make me wonder if you had an alternative motive." Éponine smirked, giving him a playful wink.

"Moi?" Enjolras chuckled, "Never."

Éponine rolled her eyes, pushing him in the door.

They were surprised to find the Cafe empty, "The boys are probably recovering after all of their drinking last night." Enjolras loosened his cravat and unbuttoned his black vest. "You can take a pick from my books," He stopped talking, giving her an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I forgot."

"It's alright. You're used to people of more intellect." Éponine pulled her hat off, fluffing her hair out.

"You don't have to read to be intelligent." Enjolras picked up one of his books, "You're one of the most intelligent women I know."

"Well, that's a comfort. At least you might not get bored with me so soon."

"It's a well suited marriage." Enjolras replied, loosening his cravat more. "I'll teach you to read. Come over here we can start today, if you'd like."

"I would like that," Éponine smiled, pulling her seat up beside him.

They first went through the sparse vocabulary that Éponine did know, and then worked on the words that could be made from what she knew. The trickiest part of it was teaching her new words, but he tried to keep them basic and necessary for everyday life.

"This is hard than it looks," Éponine ran her fingers through her hair frustrated. "How does anyone think that this is easy? No offence."

"None taken," He laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "It'll get easier. You already know the, really basic stuff."

"_Really_ being the important word." He rolled his eyes, "Don't roll your eyes, you are not trying to learn this crazy stuff."

"But I'm trying to teach this crazy stuff, to crazy stuff." Enjolras gave her a playful wink. Éponine leaned towards him, planting a kiss on his lips.

"Sorry." She whispered, covering her mouth.

"Don't be," Enjolras laughed, tilting her chin up and pressing his lips and against hers. The kiss was soft and kind; there was no real passion or desire in it.

"Back to all of this gibberish then?" Éponine asked pulling back from the kiss.

Enjolras nodded, his arm finding its way back around her shoulders.

The door of the Cafe opened, Enjolras and Éponine both turned to see who it was. It was Marius.

"Ah Marius! The Cafe has seemed to empty without the menagerie of you boys."

Éponine shrank away from Enjolras touch, feeling her cheeks brighten red with his arrival. "Monsieur Marius."

"What have I walked in on then?" Marius laughed, though his face did not laugh. "I never imagined there being something between you and him, 'Ponine."

Éponine burst out laughing, trying to hide the embarrassment that was flooding her, "What? Of course not! He's teaching me to read! Nothing more, so get those fantasies out of your mind."

Marius joined in with her laughter freely, but Enjolras's laughter was forced. "Because who would imagine me with Éponine?" He gave her a scathing glance, closing the book in his hands.

"I did not mean it like, oh.." Éponine let out a huff, "Never mind."

"No, no, by all means go on." Enjolras snapped, rising to his feet and strolling heavily towards the bar. "By all means Éponine tell Marius all about it."

Éponine blushed heavily, staring down at her hands. "You're over reacting Éponine," She turned to Marius, "He's overreacting. Apparently he should have slept in today instead of wasting his _precious_ time around here with me." She jerked her hat over her hair, "I'm going for a walk."

"What was all of that about my friend?"

"It's a very long story that she's going to have to be willing to tell eventually." Enjolras gritted his teeth, taking a long sip of ale. "This is not hard enough liquor."

"Enjolras, tell me what is wrong." Marius quirked his brow, trying to read his friend's face. "What has gone on between you and dear 'Ponine?"

Enjolras sank into a seat, "Marius, truthfully how do you feel about her?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's a very simple question. How do you feel about her?"

"She is my friend."

"And?"

"I care for her deeply."

Enjolras turned to stare at Marius, "How deeply? Speak the truth my friend, I need to know this."

"What does it matter to you?"

"It matters more than you would care to know."

"I care for her more than any of my other friends," Marius admitted, looking uncomfortable by the subject.

Enjolras nodded, downing his mug of ale. "Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

After Marius had left to run his errands, Enjolras decided to try and find Éponine. He hadn't had any luck finding her around the Cafe. He had no idea where she usually haunted, besides the Cafe. He would try her family's Inn, but after that he would just have to go back to the Cafe and wait and see if she showed up again.

Enjolras entered the Inn, finding it surprisingly rowdy for being just afternoon. "Have you seen Éponine," He questioned the large woman working behind the counter.

"Why ye lookin' for that brat fer?" Thénardier questioned giving him a hearty laugh after giving him a good look over. "She's 'round 'ere somewhere."

"Thank you very much Madame." Enjolras looked around the Inn, spotting her sitting, uncomfortably, between her father and a man he had seen around town. "Ah, there she is."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"I've eh," she scratched her head, "I've 'membered where she is. She's 'aving a real 'mportant meetin', with 'er father and a possible suitor. Can't 'ave you interrupting tha'!" She lumbered around the counter. "So 'eh, I can keep yet occupied 'till she's done." Thénardier poked him in the stomach, "Not an ounce eh fat."

Enjolras found himself, for once, at a loss for words. He turned back to look at Éponine. She was staring at him intently, but as soon as they met eyes she looked away quickly. "I need to talk to her." He said, glancing to the unattractive man to her left, the "suitor" her mother had mentioned."It'll be quick-"

"No! 'Parnasse is offering a good 'nough sum for the brat." She hissed, grabbing his arm.

"Let go of me woman." Enjolras snapped, shaking his arm free from her grasp. He couldn't help but find it humours that this woman was unknowingly holding back her daughter's husband. He gave her a threatening glare before making his way across the Inn towards Éponine and the two men.

"Éponine, Monsieur Thénardier, Monsieur, I'm quite sorry I do not know your name." Enjolras couldn't understand why he felt any jealousy towards the man.

"Montparnasse," He rose to his feet, giving a quick bow. "And you?"

Enjolras shot a glance at Éponine, "I am Enjolras Ba-"

"He is my husband." Éponine said softly, her eyes downcast at the table.

"What ye say brat?" Her father glared at her, "Speak up, my ears are betrayin' me."

"My husband." She replied with a slight power.

"Monsieur Thénardier that is why I have come here today. You're daughter and I were wed yesterday." Enjolras gave her a gentle smile.

"You mean your hussy of a daughter is already married?" Montparnasse snarled, "Give me back my money you old man."

"Wait a moment 'Parnasse," Thénardier raised a hand to quiet his friend. "Has the marriage been... _finalised_?"

"No."

"Yes."

"Éponine, I.." Enjolras flustered at their conflicting answers.

"I understand that you would like to keep these details of our marriage to us, but it is much better to let my father know." Éponine nodded her head, rising to her feet and walking towards Enjolras. "Father, I am no longer yours to give away."

"I expect money," He spat, "I expect money for my daughter's innocence, I could've got plenty o' money fer her out on the streets."

"Your payment is a safe home for your daughter, and knowing that she will be taken care of." Enjolras retorted, giving Éponine a sideways glance as she rested her hand on his forearm. "I can give her a better life than you could have ever given her." His eyes shot between both men.

"I expect a child."

Éponine fought back any fearful emotions. That was not part of the real marriage agreement.

"If that is all you require as proof of our marriage it can be arranged." Enjolras protectively wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Won't be hard will it?"

"No." Éponine laughed nervously, finding that the stains on the floor boards very interesting suddenly.

"If there is no child by the end of the year, I'll be requiring money and my daught'r back."

Enjolras held his hand out, "It is a deal then."

Montparnasse jerked to his feet, "Thénardier return to me the money I have been paying you!"

"This is where we go quickly." Éponine commented, stepping back slowly.

~o~

"This is not going at all as we planned." Éponine groaned, sitting down on chair in the parlour room of Enjolras' house.

"Éponine," Enjolras shook his head, sitting down across from her.

"I do not know how this is going to work, with my father and the deal _you_ agreed to."

"What would you have wanted me to do? No Monsieur I do not want your daughter if that means I will have to lay with her?" Enjolras rolled his eyes, "Éponine there is something else I wanted to talk about."

"What is it?"

"I want, no, I need you to know if you want to remain married to me."

"Of course I do, Enjolras."

"No you do not. I do not think that you really want this. I think you only agreed because you were afraid to say no. In the face of Marius you were ashamed of our marriage."

Éponine bit her lip, "That's not why I didn't want to tell him. I wasn't ready! I wanted to tell everyone after my dress is finished. I.."

"He told me he cares for you more than any of his other friends."

Éponine gasped, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want you to know, that you may have had a choice bad choice in marrying me."

"Do you see what my father wants me to marry?" Éponine snapped, "Why are you doing this Enjolras? This was not a mistake. We'll make it work out with my father. And Marius, he will never love me like he does this girl from the park."

"And do you think that I will ever love you?"

Éponine stared at him, feeling a dull ache in her chest, "Are you just trying to push me away? I'm sorry that I hurt you when I made you sound like the last person on the earth I would want."

"No, I'm trying to put this into perspective for you."

"I want to be married to you, Enjolras. I will walk back to the Cafe right now and tell them all. I told my parents didn't I?"

"Only because the timing worked for you."

"Why am I suddenly the wrong-doer person in this conversation?" Éponine stood up, walking across the parlour to look out the window. She would not cry in front of him.

"Éponine, we are both wrong in this." Enjolras followed after her, standing behind her. "We just need to talk this out like civilised people. We didn't plan this out, we just jumped into this headfirst."

"Stop Enjolras," Éponine choked on a sob. "Just stop."

"Please don't cry." He tentatively reached his hand out to stroke her arm.

Éponine turned in a whirl, taking him off guard as she pressed her lips against his. He didn't respond at first, but he found himself kissing her back after he realised what was going on. Éponine jerked back from the kiss, "When you kiss me back like that it makes me wonder how you can also be telling me that you want this to be over before it's even started.

"That's not what I've been trying to say Éponine. I've been trying to make sure you understand this marriage."

"Then say that that is what you're doing. Because all I heard was, you saying you thought this was a terrible mistake and that we should return to the judge and have this marriage ended."

"That's not at all what I want." Enjolras leaned his forehead to press against hers, before wrapping her in a warm embrace. He wasn't sure what it was that he felt for this urchin girl – it wasn't love, but it was something close to it.


	5. Chapter 5

"Éponine," Enjolras nudged her gently, he didn't want to have to wake her up. She had been sleeping so soundly for the last hour that it felt like a crime to have to wake her up. "Éponine, it's time to wake up, you've caused my arm to go numb. Come on." He rubbed his hand over her back, feeling her shift ever so slightly.

"Hmm?"

"Come on, I'd like to be able to feel my arm again." Enjolras chuckled, pushing himself up straighter.

"I'm comfortable." She grumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "How long have I been asleep?"

"An hour or so, you didn't make it very far through the book." He motioned to where the novel sat on the side table. After she had got so bent out of shape after talking about ending their marriage he had decided to read to her and try to teach her a few more words. Éponine had crawled onto his lap and fell asleep against his chest before he had hardly finished the first chapter.

"Sorry," She yawned, covering her mouth quickly.

"Don't be," He smiled at her. "You looked peaceful."

Éponine got off of his lap, stretching her arms above his head. "I feel better now. Not about everything but about most things."

"There were other things I wanted to say, about us."

She groaned, closing her eyes. "I don't want to have to talk about this anymore. We're married end of story. Nothing is going to change that."

"Nothing?"

"No."

"Not even Marius."

"He's not going to care about me enough to save me from a street corner. He's not going to give away his chances to be with that _Cosette_, to be with me."

"He said that he cared about you more than any of his other friends."

"Friends. I am nothing more than a friend to him. Please I do not want to go through this again."

"If there was a chance for you two? You're giving it away to be with me because it works."

Éponine turned herself away from him, busying herself with sorting out a stack of his books. "I want to stay married to you Enjolras. We get along well enough and it's convenient."

"But is it just that?"

"Yes. It is convenient. We get along together, I would not mind growing old with you, a few friendly kisses here and there, we just work."

"Just convenient," He repeated, whether to agree or to reassure himself – he wasn't sure.

"If I sit around and wait for Marius, you saw who my father will sell me to." Éponine shuddered, "He has been trying to get a hold of me since I was very young. He's as old as my father! He's vile."

"Montparnasse?"

"Yes."

"Éponine, what will your father do if we do not produce a child?"

She stared at the floor, thinking. "I don't know. I'm sure we can come up with something. Perhaps, you can send me away to a friend in another city far away and I can return in the right time with a child."

"You think he will not have someone check in on you wherever you go? He does not seem like a man who will let money go easily." Enjolras commented, sitting back in the chair.

"You act as though you are just raring to have a child with me, when you were the one who told me in the beginning of all of this that you never wanted a wife or children – just companionship. So why are you pressing all of these matters of children?"

"I'm not-" Enjolras broke off, rolling his eyes and rising to his feet. He found himself a mug and a bottle of liquor, pouring himself a pint. "I'm not insinuating that I want you to bear my children, but if it were to have to happen to keep you safe then we are going to have to find a way to make it work."

Éponine felt her cheeks heat up, "I, I... Guess if it came to that. But not now. We have at least three months.."

"No, no. Of course not now. We've not even been married a week. This could be a terrible, terrible mistake."

"Please stop saying that Enjolras. The more you say it the more I think you are regretting this arrangement."

"I'm not regretting it for my sake; I'm regretting it for yours. I never wanted to be married, but it's obvious that you did. And not to me."

"I wanted to be married to Marius, but I do not think he sees me as someone who would even be a afterthought for marriage. I'm just a poor girl."

"You are not. You are richer than most people who have the largest fortunes imaginable."

"You are too kind to me Enjolras." She smiled, looking over her shoulder at him. "You welcome me into your family, into your home, into your arms, into your life. I am forever in your debt."

"Don't say things like that Éponine." Enjolras shook his head as downed his drink. Why? Why could he not stand to hear such a sweet thing from her? It just made him yearn for her in a way that worried him. They'd hardly been married for two days, he could see how easy it could be to make the bonds of marriage disappear but he could also see how easy it would be to make them permanent and fulfilled.

~o~

A week after their marriage they went to pick up her new dress. She had brushed her hair out, combing the knots from it and she even attempted to style it similar to the ladies hair styles she had seen around Paris.

When she stepped out from behind the dressing screen, Enjolras couldn't believe the woman that was standing in front of him. She was fit to be on the arm of any man of power in Paris, but she was on his arm.

"What do you think?" Éponine questioned shyly, running her hands over the silky material. She couldn't believe how soft and comfortable it was. It was nothing like her rags. It made her feel like she was wealthy and powerful.

"Unbelievable."

Éponine chuckled, looking up with a blush. "Thank you."

"You're gorgeous."

"Only fitting. I am married to a handsome man after all."

"I'm not sure the men are even going to notice you."

"I'm sure they'll notice me." She laughed, admiring herself in a mirror.

"No, who couldn't miss you. But they won't realise it is you."

"But I will tell them that it is I and that I am no longer Thénardier but, Éponine Baudin." A grin spread across her lips. "That I am your wife."

"And I am your, very lucky, husband." Enjolras offered her his arm, which she took gladly. "You are sure of all of this."

"I am very sure." Éponine replied as they made their way from the shop towards the ABC Cafe. "I am afraid but I am ready."

"You are a sight to see, I am surprised at what a dress can do."

"Thank you," She retorted with a bit of a cocky attitude, "So reassuring."

"Not that you were not beautiful before but now I can see the beauty in full."

Éponine rose up on her toes, planting a kiss on his cheek, "Thank you for the dress."

There was an audible gasp when she entered the room, all of the eyes of the boys of the Cafe were on them as soon as they entered. The first person Éponine's eyes fell on was Marius. He was in awe.

"Who is your girl Enjolras?" Grantaire asked, looking over Éponine approvingly.

"God above! Is Mademoiselle Éponine!" Gavroche cried out.

"I am not a Mademoiselle any longer, Gavroche." Éponine responded turning to look at Enjolras. "I have not been one for a week."

Marius gasped, "What do you mean 'Ponine?" His eyes darted from Enjolras and then back to his friend. "You cannot mean.."

"Yes, Marius. She and I."

"Enjolras you, 'Ponine.. you. You were so against even the thought."

"I, was already his wife. I was embarrassed. I am not, however, any longer."

"This is not real. This is some joke." Marius laughed as he hugged Enjolras and slapped him on the back. "What has enticed you to pull this sort of joke?"

"It is not a ruse Marius, we are man and wife." Enjolras replied without a hint of laughter in his voice.

"I do not believe this. 'Ponine." Marius glanced at her sadly, causing her smile fall. "You should have told me then."

"It would have done me no good to wait on you any longer." Éponine snapped, her hold on Enjolras' arm growing tighter. "I am not from a path of life where I can wait for people to open their eyes."

"You surely do not love him."

Enjolras gave Éponine a little smile, "This does not need to be so public, if you two need to talk about this I want you to have the conversation in private."

"I agree. Come 'Ponine we can talk this through outside."

"Enjolras," She squeezed his arm tighter, "Will you come with us?"

"No, you need to have this talk in private." Enjolras gave her a reassuring wink. "I'll be here when you two return."

"Come 'Ponine." Marius gritted his teeth, taking no time to walk to the door.

Éponine hesitated for a moment, her heart was beating incredibly fast and her mind was racing in circles. "Enjolras," She said quietly as he had started to walk away. He turned back and she rose up on her tiptoes to press her lips against his, kissing him in a vain attempt to vanquish her fear.

He returned her kiss with some fervent, breaking it when it dawned on him that eyes were on them. "Go. You'll be fine."

Éponine slowly turned back, trying to keep the pride that went along with the dress as she followed Marius out. No sooner than the door was shut than was she letting loose with a torrent of words, "Do not try to convince me that I should not have married Enjolras. Marius, he is a good man and he is kind and gentle, we get a long and we care for each other and-"

"Stop." Marius said, covering her lips with a finger. "Just stop."

"Marius-"

"Did you never think how I would feel?"

"Why should I? You do not love me."

"And you love Enjolras then?"

"I.." Éponine stopped, "I care for him."

"But you do not love him?"

"I could one day." She confessed, staring down at her hands.

"Oh, 'Ponine." Marius muttered, "Why?"

"Because if I was not married soon I would be married to a vile man or I would be forced to work for my money in shameful ways." Éponine laid her hand on his shoulder softly, "I can still be your friend, no more and no less than I have ever been."

"No," Marius shook his head.

"You have this Cosette."

"I love Cosette, but I care for you." Marius moved in one quick motion to kiss her in one soul-searing kiss. "I care for you so much Éponine."

She was frozen in her spot, her tongue darting over her lips nervously. Had he just? No. He couldn't have. "Marius," She covered her mouth. She hadn't even tried to stop him. "I am married."

"You are married but you are not dead." He pulled her to him and kissed her again.

She couldn't help herself, but give into the feeling of his lips; lips that she never imagined feeling against hers.


	6. Chapter 6

Éponine pulled back from the kiss, "No! Marius, this is not happening."

"But, 'Ponine. I care for you more than any other. I love you as much as I love Cosette."

"If you loved me, then you could have told me before today." She pushed against his chest as he tried to pull her close again. "You have never once told me you loved me before today."

"I did not realise until today."

"You did not realise until today because before today I was nothing more than some poor girl to feel sorry for."

"No! 'Ponine that is not why. You were always beautiful to me." Éponine bit her lip, staring at him with wide eyes. "You think I am only saying this because you are Enjolras' now? 'Ponine I do not think you would ever give yourself away to him. He is so ill-suited to you. You are nothing alike!"

"And you and I have so much in common. Enjolras and I work well together. I care about him and he cares about me. That's all that is needed in a relationship. Companionship and care. We have always been friends, for as long as you and I have been friends. I just reached a stage where I couldn't waste my life on you." She felt hot tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

"What has he done to convince you into this?" He grabbed her arms, "The 'Ponine I knew would never be so quick to become someone's wife."

"It was between 'Parnasse and the street Marius. And you were not so willing with all of your '_oos_' and _'aas_' with Cosette. Enjolras offered, we were both just tired of being alone. It was convenient. This conversation has been done Marius. So please if you will, let me return to my husband."

"No!" He snarled, shaking her arms – his grip growing tighter. "I won't let you go."

"If you love me you will let me go, Marius." She said softly, fearfully. Marius reminded her eerily of her father, and his forceful controlling ways. "Love me and let me go." Éponine shook his hands off and cupping his face. "Please." Rising on her toes, she pressed a kiss into his lips.

"What is going on here?" Enjolras' voice startled the kiss, freezing Éponine in fear.

"It is not what it looks like," She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, "It isn't!"

"Enjolras, I think you see what your little wife is truly like." Marius laughed, straightening his cravat. "She is minx."

"You are a liar, Monsieur!" Éponine snapped, looking from Marius to Enjolras. "Please Enjolras listen to me."

Enjolras felt the jealousy in his veins. Their marriage maybe not be like most, but it was a marriage nevertheless. She was his wife, his property (no matter how much he hated to think that). He had trusted Éponine more than to throw herself at Marius at the first chance. He knew that he would have to let her go. If she had the chance at the life she dreamed then he would let her have it.

"Éponine, please don't." Enjolras shook his head sadly, "I want you to have the life you want to have."

"No! This is not. This was a good-bye." Éponine felt tears burning her eyes, spilling and streaming down her cheeks. "Please, God, please listen."

Marius sneered as he went to re-enter the Cafe, "You may dress them up but they cannot lose the who they are, Enjolras."

"Stupid man!" Éponine snapped, as the door closed. "Enjolras please. It is not at all what it looked like. I.." The sob broke through and she began crying. Enjolras softened, wrapping his arms around her thin frame. "Enjolras, don't end this."

"Shh, I'm not. Just explain what happened."

"He forced a kiss, he forced it. It wasn't what I wanted. He told me. He told me that he loved me."

"Then-"

"No," she sobbed against his chest, "Let me finish. He told me he loved me and I told him he only loved this new me."

"Éponine," He stroked his hand over her back, holding her to his chest. "Mon petite ange."

"I told him he had to let me go if he loved me. Because I was, because I am, happy with you."

"Oh, Éponine." He looked down at her, brushing his thumb across her cheeks to wipe away the tears that were staining her skin. "Why? It was what you always wanted."

"He is not that man." She shook her head, reaching to cover his hand with hers. "You have shown me that he is not that man. He is not the man I told you I wanted that evening."

"Oh, please don't Éponine. I cannot be that man."

"You are. You are!"

"Éponine," He pulled her into a kiss, both mouth's hungry for each other. He could taste the salty tinge of her tears, he could feel the fever in her kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close – her arms wrapped around to cup his neck.

Éponine found the kiss like none of the others they had shared. And it was a far cry from Marius'. She had always thought Marius would be what made her knees weak and her heart pound. But Enjolras was the one that made her feel like she was melting.

"I love you." The words slipped from her lips as the kiss broke for air. They came quicker than she could control them. Had she really said those three little, huge, words.

Enjolras' eyes flickered open to meet hers. "You do?"

"I do. I understand if you do not. Just forge-" Her words were cut off by another soul-searing kiss.

"I love you too."


	7. Chapter 7

"Where does this leave us?" Enjolras asked, hugging her to his chest as they stood in front of the Cafe.

"More than we were before." Éponine laughed softly, pressing her face against his chest. "I don't want to go back in there, right now at least."

"I'm not making you." He pressed a kiss to the top her head, "Nothing else has to change between us."

"What do you mean?"

"I love you, but we do not need any more out of it. Not right now at least."

"No! Of course not." Éponine chuckled nervously, "No. No."

"No need to be so against it." He joked, giving her a playful wink.

"Ah, but without protesting I wouldn't get to see those hurt faces you make." She gave him a teasing poke back.

"You enjoy harassing me too much."

"I always have and I always will." Her smile grew wide, as she laughed. "It only took a week for that to happen."

"For what to happen?"

"To say that what we felt was more than just caring. It went beyond that faster than I expected."

Enjolras smiled, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. "Situations make opinions change."

"Like kissing Marius." Éponine pulled away from his touch, feeling guilty.

"Yes like kissing him."

"Don't say it like that."

"I didn't mean it to sound like that."

Éponine rolled her eyes, "You didn't mean it to sound like the jealous husband?"

"You are my wife Éponine."

"I am aware of this, " She looked away.

Enjolras let out a frustrated groan, running his fingers through his hair. "Please, that's not what I meant."

"Sure."

"You are my friend and companion first and my wife second. That is only because we promised that this is a relationship that did not force you to partake in wifely duties." He stroked her cheek tenderly. "You know you understand me."

"I do but," She shook her head, sighing. "It's different now that we said those words. It just feels strange."

"I don't understand how it feels different. I cared for you and loved, I've just said it now."

"You do not want me then?"

"No, that's not what I said." Enjolras looked around, "Perhaps we should talk about this at home."

"Perhaps," She nodded.

~o~

Éponine was perched on the arm of the chair Enjolras sitting in. "Like I was saying, I care for you and love you. They are nearly the same."

"No, they aren't."

"What is love to you?"

"Wanting to be with someone. Getting that silly feeling when you're around them. Isn't that what you feel?"

"No."

Éponine gulped, "Oh."

"Sure, I want you. But I think I've learned from my novels and books that it just complicates your feelings."

"In other words I think you're saying I'm married to a monk?"

"No," Enjolras burst out laughing.

"I'm not as naive as you'd like to think I am."

"Oh?" He quirked his brow, giving her a questioning look. He loosened his cravat, leaning back in the chair comfortably.

"My mother's bedstories for my sister and I were romantic novels. That's even where she got our names."

"You have a sister?"

"Azelma, yes. She's not important. What is, however, is that I think that you think that I am too innocent."

"Your mother could read and she didn't teach you?"

"Enjolras! You're missing the point." Éponine buried her face in her hands. "I am innocent but not innocent."

"You understood what those books were about then?"

"Yes. They were about the acts that husbands and wives and lovers partake in," She blushed, pressing her hands against her cheeks to cool down. "I do not understand how it is that you can love me but not want to love me like that."

"I think that propriety controls me there. I have trained myself into the way I am."

"You feeling nothing when I am pressed against you and our lips are passionately kissing?"

"No, Éponine." His response was startling emotionless.

"Will they ever change?"

"Are you having second thoughts?"

"No!" Éponine flew from the arm, "Why is it whenever I mention anything you think I want out of this?"

"Éponine come here and stop being so dramatic."

"I am not my mother! I am not settling for the first bidder! She married my father because she didn't think anything better was coming for her. No white knights and faerie tales for her. But that is not me and that is not you. I am not smart, but I know what I want."

"Éponine, stop being so dramatic." Enjolras repeated, "I only ask you that because I want you to know that I am not forcing you into this. I am not letting this go any farther than where it is because this may not last and I do not want you feeling forever bound to me."

"But I am! I agreed to marry you. I would even agree that we may one day have children."

"Éponine, come here." He motioned for her.

He felt like she had moments where she truly showed how naive and child-like she was. Her parents had stilted her from maturing, and he had matured far quicker than most. She was street-wise and mature when it came to life on the streets – but they were not the real life. He had been the father figure to so many of the boys at the Cafe that he couldn't help but want to father her.

"Enjolras," She murmured as he pulled her into his arms and his lap.

"Listen to me. Listen to me and do not interrupt me." He settled her onto him, letting her rest her head beneath his chin. "I want you to know that rebellion is stirring. There will be a time, soon, when I will have to go out and fight the revolution. It will be a bloody battle, no matter how strong we prove to be. They will hear the people sing their dying song. We are nothing but rich school boys."

Éponine bit her lip while she listened, burrowing her face in his cravat.

"I do not want to leave you my wife. I want to leave you with the goods of being my wife but not the duties."

Éponine gulped, "But Enjolras.."

"No buts Éponine this is how it must be."

"But I love you Enjolras, I love you."

"And I love you." He kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her. Denying it as much as he could wasn't changing the way he felt when he held her in his arms. She stirred him to the very core. It was everything he had read in his novels. The passion and the fire she ignited that took every ounce of his power and prayer to control.

He prayed that the war came soon so that he could finally do everything he yearned to do with her.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This skips ahead bit after the first section. The second bit is fluffy goodness that dances (in my opinion) on the high T side. It's not descriptive or anything, just passionate. I'm a wimp when it comes to smutt. I love reading it in its full goodness but I shy away from writing it. **

**~o~**

They had spent the remaining hours of the day wrapped in each other's arms in the chair. They talked of their lives and their dreams, how they felt about the most important matters. They made up for all of the conversations they would have had before marriage if it had been an average marriage. Éponine and Enjolras soon found rest in the warmth and companionship of each other.

When Enjolras woke up the pain in his neck forced him to relocate from the chair. He rose carefully with Éponine in his arms, not wanting to wake her from her peaceful slumber. He slowly walked them into her bedroom, laying her into the bed.

She stirred, stretching out on the mattress, "Stay."

"Éponine," He replied softly.

"Please." Éponine's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him sleepily. "Just stay here beside me."

Enjolras glanced towards the door and then back to her. Without speaking he strode across the room, with every intention leave. But something in him insisted that there was nothing wrong with spending the remainder of the night wrapped in her arms, as innocent as it were.

He closed the door and turned back to give her a charming grin, "You have convinced me."

Éponine beamed at him, "Really?"

Enjolras laughed as he moved across the room to slid into bed beside her, "Now sleep well mon cher." He kissed the back of her neck, letting his arm rest protectively over her waist.

~o~

How long can happiness last before it is torn apart by the shrapnel of a revolution?

"I'm going with you!" Éponine threw herself at Enjolras, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight.

"Stay here Éponine, I cannot have you getting hurt in the war."

"Perhaps I cannot allow you to get hurt in the war."

"There are boys waiting for my orders Éponine, please." He pulled her back, staring her in the eyes. "I have to fight for our freedom."

"Please Enjolras, you cannot die."

Enjolras smiled at her, "Who said I was going to die?"

"You did months ago when you said revolution was stirring. I am not ready to lose you." She pulled in for a kiss.

"Éponine, they are waiting for me at the Barricade."

"Why did you come here for if they so desperately need you?" Éponine growled, pushing away from him in a huff.

"You drive me insane Éponine." Enjolras rolled his eyes at her behaviour, "I came to say good-bye to you, in case."

"In case you leave me alone in this world?"

"I do not want that to happen mon cher, mon amour, ma vie." Enjolras captured her in an embrace.

"Please do not leave me alone, Enjolras." Éponine buried her face in his chest. "I want to be your wife."

Enjolras nudged her chin up, "I want you to be my wife. If only this war could just end."

"What do you mean?"

"If I live, I plan to make you my wife. _Fully_."

"Why wait for the war to end? Why wait to see if you live? Why not live now?" Éponine leaned up, trying to capture his lips in a kiss but he turned away.

"I cannot leave you that way."

"I want you to leave me this way," She placed her hands on either side of his face so he had no choice but to let her kiss him, not that he fought her away this time. He let himself get lost in her lips, feeling the power subside as lust took over.

His hands ran over her body, feeling every curve and every dip he had longed to feel and cherish. Pulling her flush against his body and revelling in the feel of her womanly figure against his strong form.

She was intoxicating and mesmerizing. Éponine was more real than any fantasy he had conceived from his books. She was more real than the war that was about to rage. The war.

"No." He gasped as he pushed her away no matter how much his body screamed at his decision.

"Enjolras." Her brows furrowed as her chest heaved; her cheeks were covered in a dark red blush. "How can you deny us of this?" She stepped towards him boldly, "You talk of rallying the troops together to form one army, why not let us rally together to form one union?"

Her words made his heart skip a beat, lust blinding his vision. "And singing the song of passion and fire."

Enjolras pulled her back into his arms, resuming his fumbling examination of every curve he could grasp. He needed her. He had always needed her. He was too stubborn and honourable to realise that he was only starving them of each other.

"Not like this though," He mumbled as he pressed kisses from her chin to her neck to her collarbone, his teeth scraping against the skin there.

Éponine let out an exquisite moan as her own hands began their journey. "I am yours." She whispered, as she leaned her head back to allow him better access.

He scooped her up suddenly, hauling her into their bedroom and laying her down on the bed. This wasn't like those nights he spent, nervously, beside her – afraid he might get to close and lose control. Caution and control were thrown to the wind in their blind haze of lust and desire. Enjolras' full length was pressed atop her.

He found that it was impractical to have her lying beneath him, he couldn't reach the confounded bodice lacings that his fingers with fumbling with. He rolled over, pulling her with him.

Enjolras soaked in the image of her sitting astride him, as he slowly worked the ties loose. This would be the image that would burn in his eyes as he fought.

Their passion and their love, their bodies entwining in the heat and the lust of their lovemaking. The power and the fulfilment of it all. The joining of man and wife into one being. Into one soul-searing moment of climax. That would never be separated.

Except by a bullet that could take even the bravest from the world.


	9. Chapter 9

Éponine woke up to the sun shining on her face. She rolled over smiling as brightly as the sun until her fear came true. She had tried not to fall asleep in the afterglow of their lovemaking, but she was exhausted. Now, she found that he had left without even bothering to disturb her. She sat up, pulling her sheet around her chest. There was a small note lying on the pillow beside her.

_Mon Cher,_

_I am sorry to have to leave you after this. Lemarqe's death has brought  
forward the final straw to propel our revolution. I have left for the  
Barricade. Please stay at our home and stay safe. I love you  
more than I ever thought that I would. Please stay safe._

_Con gram amor,  
Your husband Enjolras Baudin_

Éponine folded the note back together. He had made sure that the note was written as simply and as basic as possible so that she could read it. The words were everything she knew and could understand. But what he had written was more complicated than the words. What he had written was really; that despite going against his word of waiting for the war to end to become a true union -he had still left to fight the war that they both knew was a battle in vain.

He had left her exactly how he had not wanted to.

Éponine rose from the bed, finding her clothes beside the bed. She stared at them for the longest time. Contemplating. Did she stay or did she go? Did she stay safe and wait for news that he had died or did she go and fight to their deaths beside him.

They had left those vows from their wedding vows. _Till death do us part_. They never muttered that promise. But, she knew that they didn't need to say them for them to be true.

Wrapping the sheet around her body, she searched the wardrobe for her old rags. It was her duty to fight beside him. Mixing her old clothes with Enjolras' clothes she donned the guise of boy. Her hair was tucked into her cap, a cravat tied messily at her neck, her ragged pants and his shirt and vest.

She would rather die with him than live without him.

~o~

"We must rally together my friends!" Enjolras thrust his gun into the air, the boys responding with raised fists and excitement. "What do we fight for?"

"For freedom!"

"For power!"

"For honour!"

"For our families!"

Marius met Enjolras eyes, "For love."

Enjolras closed his eyes, nodding his head. He could not let this stirring emotions cloud his judgement and his abilities. He was fighting for Éponine, but the thought of her so willing and lovely could not interrupt the thoughts of battle. "For love."

"Enjolras! There is a figure lurking in the shadows!" Gavroche called, running from his watch point.

"Ready yourselves men!" Enjolras climbed the Barricade, taking aim and firing the first shot of the war.

~o~

Éponine screamed out in pain. She had been so close to the Barricade. She had been careful, kept to the shadows, had avoided the places she knew her father's men lurked. She hadn't even made it to Enjolras' side.

But it could be worse. She had only been shot in her arm, or her shoulder. The pain was excruciating but she could make it.

Even through the echoing of the following gunfire, she risked being shot again to make it through the Barricade. Collapsing in a heap, crying out in pain.

Enjolras turned from the firing, seeing the boy at the bottom of the barricade. "You there."

Éponine kept her head down, nursing her wound.

As Enjolras clamoured down the jumble of doors and chairs, he recognized the vest the boy had on. He had seen it somewhere. "You boy."

Éponine shuddered as she felt the blood rushing from her arm, the pain was overwhelming. "Monsieur take pity."

That voice.

"Éponine!" Enjolras roared, pulling the hat from the "boys" head. "Éponine." He sank to his knees, gathering her in his arms. "You are hurt."

"It is nothing, with you here."

"Who did this?"

"I do not know," Éponine jerked as he touched her wounded arm, "The first shot hit me."

Enjolras' eyes shot open, "No." He clutched her to his chest, cradling her. "It cannot be."

"We never said 'till death do us part'. Did we?" Éponine laughed, taking a hold of his hand.

"Éponine Baudin will you be my wife till death do us part? When it parts us forty years from now." He kissed the top of her head, "You cannot die like this." Not be his own hand. He had tried to save her and now he may have killed her.

"It hurts." She whimpered as he sat her up, removing his cravat from her neck and tying it around her arm.

"Don't think about that. Think about us. Think about all of the things we're going to do after this is over. All of the things I am going to do to you. I didn't want to leave you and I never intend to leave you again."

"I love you," Éponine sighed, squeezing his hand with her good arm. "I love you so much."

"Enjolras! We need you!" Grantaire shouted, climbing down the Barricade, "Enjolras." He watched his friend cradling Éponine.

"She was wounded by the first shot," Enjolras growled, hating that he was the one who inflicted this pain on his dear Éponine.

"How many children are we going to have?" Éponine asked with a soft laugh.

"Twelve. I'll teach them all how to read and write. They'll all look like you-"

"And be as smart as you." Éponine smiled and reached up to stroke his cheek.

Grantaire turned back, leaving his friend to tend to his wounded wife.

"Fight like I know you can Éponine, mon cher, mon ange." He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

"For you." She smiled, breathing slowly as the pain coursed through her arm. "Go, fight. Leave me here. I'll be fine."

"No. My place is here with you. We never said those romantic vows but I want you to know that I married you wanting you as my constant friend and my faithful partner and my one true love." He kissed her again. "I'm so sorry."

"I love you too, Enjolras."


	10. Chapter 10

Enjolras squeezed her arm, trying to stop the blood that was starting to soak through the makeshift bandage. "It's going to be okay, Éponine."

She gasped in pain, leaning her head back against his chest. "It hurts."

Enjolras laughed, "It could be worse though." Or it could be better if he had never had to take the first shot.

"Always put things in perspective." Éponine shook her head, "The bone feels broken."

"I'm sure it is. I think the bullet shattered the bone." He wrapped his arm around her waist, burying his face in her hair. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, I just had to come and find you. I can't listen to orders."

There was a large explosion that rattled the Barricade, "I need to get you out of here."

"Take the sewers." Éponine whispered, trying to get up.

"No, let me help you up." Enjolras stood up, bending down to scoop Éponine up. "Are you alright?"

"As fine as I can be with a painful hole in my arm."

"Enjolras!" Marius shouted, "Where are you going."

"I'll be back." Enjolras mouthed, before speaking loudly, "I'm taking Éponine somewhere safe."

Enjolras took the back ways through the city, before taking the lower levels of the city. Éponine helped him navigate them, knowing them like the back of her hand.

"Here! My father hasn't used these sewers since I was a child. Will you stay with me?" Enjolras settled her down, letting her lean against the wall.

"I have to go back to my men. I'm sorry," He stroked her cheek tenderly. "It is my duty and my honour. You are safe now and that is all that matters now." He pulled a knife from his pocket, using it to cut the sleeve from the shirt, pulling it away from the wound. He pulled his cravat from his neck, untying the one from her arm. "I don't want to leave you."

"Then don't."

"There are men fighting that need me. I have led them all this way and I will not leave them now." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I'll be back when it's all over."

Éponine nodded slowly, covering her wound with her hand. "You can't leave me alone now. Not after everything."

Enjolras kissed her slow and passionately, savouring the taste and feel of her. "I _will_ be back." He had to go now or he would never leave her. His conscious weighed heavy that he was the one who had shot her, causing her the pain and the grief. He could have killed her. His aim could have been just a little to the left and he could have shot her through the heart.

"Please God, bring me home to her."

~o~

The battle was bloodier than he had imagined. Many of his friends were falling around him. He fought with Éponine's name on his lips. He fought beside Marius, fighting together in the names of the women they loved.

Had Enjolras been so mistake throughout his life? He always thought love and women distracted you from your duties and your judgement. But with the fire burning in his soul for Éponine he felt empowered to fight like he had never dreamed that he could.

By the end of the battle they were the only ones who had survived the war. By the grace of God had they lived but their friends fell. When the fighting came to a standstill, they stowed away into the sewers.

"We lived!" Marius cheered, collapsing in exhaustion once they were deep enough into the bowels of the sewers.

"By God and love." Enjolras sank to the ground beside Marius. "Éponine was injured. She disguised herself as a boy and came to fight."

"She was hurt? How bad?"

"It was only her arm. But that is not the most troubling part of the injury. Gavroche warned us of someone lurking in the shadows.."

"Éponine." Marius gasped.

"Yes."

"You shot her?"

"I did not know it was here. I would have rather been shot and killed than to hurt her."

"Then you do love her?" Marius asked curiously.

"Yes, I love her more than I thought that I would. God had smiled upon us. I would not have been able to fight the way that I did without the love of Éponine empowering me on."

"Cosette is the same for me. She awakened a world inside of me that coloured this world."

Enjolras stood, "You are not hurt?"

"No."

"I have to go and find Éponine, I left her somewhere down here."

"Go find 'Ponine, Enjolras."

~o~

Éponine had no idea how long she had been down there in the sewers. Waiting.

The pain had started causing delusions. Enjolras was there with her. Wasn't he?

Wasn't he the one who had come and taken her from the sewers? Telling her she would be alright, all she had to do was hold on. But it hadn't felt like Enjolras, he was not careful and gentle with her. He was not caring and loving with her.

She had been tossed over her imaginary Enjolras' shoulder and hauled onto a carriage.

Had she died? Was this how you were taken to heaven?

The rocking and racket of the carriage adding to the pain of her injury. Her head was throbbing with pain, her arm aching in agony.

"Enjolras?" She asked, forcing her eyes to open.

That was not Enjolras beside her.

"No. 'Parnasse."


	11. Chapter 11

"Your father sent me to scavenge through the bodies and find whatever I could find that would be worth a sou or two. But I didn't think I'd find the pretty little thing I've been paying for and not getting."

Éponine sat up slowly, clutching her arm. "I am not yours to buy."

"You'd like to think that wouldn't you." He reached his hand out to run his finger along her cheek bone.

She jerked away from his touch, "Don't touch me."

"No one is going to come to get you 'Ponine."

"Where are you taking me?"

"Cherenton-le-Pont. I have a family home there. Perhaps you will think of it as _your_ family home."

"My home is in Paris, with _my_ husband." Éponine snapped, only to wince in pain. "He will find me."

"How do you know he is even alive? I scavenged through the Barricade and there was not a boy alive there. Rich school boys are not trained soldiers."

"No." Éponine gasped, feeling hot tears springing to her eyes. "He is not dead. He cannot be."

Montparnasse gave her snakelike smile, "If you are widowed you fall into my hands now."

"You cannot prove it. I do not trust your word!" Éponine jerked away from his touch as he reached for her hand. "Do not touch me."

"I do always like a game." Montparnasse chuckled, giving her a vicious grin.

~o~

"Éponine?" Enjolras called, coming upon the part of the sewer where he knew he had left her. "Éponine?"

"Enjolras!" Marius called after him, "Are you sure this is where you left her?"

"She is not here, Marius." Enjolras shook his head as he picked up the bloodied bandage he had used. "She was here."

"She is not one to sit still for long. Do you think she got the idea to go back to your home?"

"I told her to stay here." Enjolras snapped, looking around for anything else that told him where she had gone.

"She didn't stay put before." Marius retorted, moving to look farther down the tunnel. "There's a hundred places she could have went to through these tunnels. She knows them better than we do."

"Can you check the Inn? And I will check at our home." Enjolras dropped the bandage, running his hand through his hair. "I don't know where else she could be."

"I'll check the streets as I go. She could be confused and have wandered aimlessly."

Enjolras laid his hand on Marius' shoulder, "Thank you."

Marius turned to give him a hug, "She is important to both of us. I will not let something happen to her."

~o~

No matter how hard they searched, no one had seen her and she couldn't be found. Her father didn't seem to care whether she had died or been seriously hurt, he was too busy counting the money he had collected from the dead.

"Are you from the Cafe?" A young woman grabbed Marius' arm as he left the Inn.

"Are you Azelma?" Marius asked, seeing how similar the woman looked to Éponine.

"Yes. You were looking for my sister. Is she hurt?"

Marius looked around nervously, "Yes she was shot in the arm and we cannot find her now."

"Are you the handsome man she married?" Azelma smiled at Marius, a smile very similar to her sister.

Marius shook his head, his jaw setting hard. "No, I am a good friend of your sister's."

"Oh. She spoke of you then too, Monseuir Pontmercy."

"Do you know where she is?"

Azelma shrugged, "No, I haven't seen her much since she was married. And only then she told me she had married a man from the ABC Cafe because of our parents."

"Yes, she married Enjolras. Mainly because I never noticed her for who she was before it was too late. But that is beside the point. Have you any idea where she may have gone?"

"No. Where was she last seen?"

"The tunnels underground."

"Oh no." Azelma cringed, "Montparnasse was sent to scavenge. My father still has not returned his money. If he found 'Ponine..." Azelma shook her head. "He is a cruel man, I have learned that the hard way."

"Where would he have taken her?"

"I do not know. He was a bitter man and revengeful."

"Azelma!"

"I have to go."

"Wait, please."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be helping you." Azelma curtseyed as she hurried back into the Inn.

~o~

The journey to Cherenton-le-Pont was more of a battle than staying alive. Éponine could find no rest or comfort. When she was not praying for a way to escape she was forced to fight away his wandering hands and keep his attempts at bay.

She would be too far from Paris to attempt to walk, and without money on her she had no way to hope to journey back.

She prayed that Montparnasse had lied about her husband and that Enjolras was safe and searching for her, praying for her to return to him. No matter if he was dead she would never give herself, willing, to 'Parnasse. If he forced himself upon her, she thanked God that she had been with Enjolras. That she had known the love and the passion that it was truly. She would rather die than be with Montparnasse in that way. To risk having his child.

"Just you wait, my pretty little 'Ponine." Montparnasse took a hold of her hand, giving her a toothy grin.

"Please God, save me." She muttered, as she sank into the carriage seat. The day had started out so beautiful and now it ended darker than death itself.


	12. Chapter 12

There was only one thing that Éponine could be thankful for now that she was in the hands Montparnasse. He had made sure that best doctor in Cherenton-le-Pont had been called to care for her injury. A bedroom had been prepared for her, the wound was cleaned and stitched up, bandaged, and the doctor had given her some sort of medicine that he promised would numb most of the pain.

It was risky taking some sort of medicine for pain because she knew that it could be something that would knock her out completely and give 'Parnasse free reign over her unconscious body. But, with the pain it wouldn't have to take strong medicine to make her lose consciousness. The remainder of the carriage ride had began to become difficult as the pain started to blind her senses. But she prayed and talked with God, begging him to forgive her for all of the lies and tales she had told in her life, to forgive and deliver her safely from this dark world she was being taken to.

"Can't have my future bride in terrible pain," Montparnasse grinned as the doctor left. "How are you now dearest 'Ponine?"

"Fine." Éponine snapped, shifting herself up in the bed. She held her head as she felt the medicine starting to numb her senses. "I would just like to rest."

He narrowed his eyes, "Do you need company?"

"Alone. Let me rest _alone_." Éponine insisted, shaking her head in an attempt to lose the fog that was setting in.

"But look at you, wounded and bed bound. How easy it would be."

"I will scream." She growled.

"I will gag you."

"I will scratch your eyes out 'Parnasse."

He laughed, "And you think all this violence is off putting? This old boy quite likes a game." He gave her a toothy grin before moving to sit in a chair in the corner of a room. "Don't think of trying to escape, because I will be right here."

Éponine grimaced, as she settled back into the pillows. All she wanted was Enjolras and the comfort he brought her. This bed felt cold and empty now that she knew the feeling of sharing a bed. Knowing that 'Parnasse sat there watching her with his vile eyes made it difficult to find rest. But she knew she needed her strength if she had any hopes for escaping.

~o~

"Rise and shine my pretty." Montparnasse's voice shattered her almost peaceful sleep. It had all been a nightmare in her sleep, in her dreams she was curled in the warm embrace of her husband basking in the final moments of slumber. But it was not real life.

"What do you want?" Éponine grumbled as she opened her eyes slowly. Montparnasse was hovering over her from the side of her bed.

"You, but that can wait." He chuckled at his words, finding himself to be funny.

"That can wait until you are dead." She retorted, gasping as she moved her arm the wrong way.

"I wouldn't test my patience of my willpower." He grasped her chin between his fingers, rubbing his thumb over her lip. "I would have taken you long ago but your father was insisted that I pay for that privilege. Fat old hog."

"Take your hands from me," She jerked, "Until I have proof that Enjolras is dead do not lay a hand upon me." Even admitting that there was the possibility that he had lost the battle made her heart sink. But God had told her to keep believing that he was alive, because she would know if he was dead. She felt nothing but hope when she thought of him.

"When you are well you will not have a choice, little brat." He ran his hand down her neck, the palm gliding down her arm and his fingers brushing across her stomach.

"Leave me alone!" She snarled, shoving his hand off of her. "I would rather die than have you touch me."

"Why did you even marry that pompous scholar? You are far below his class."

"It doesn't concern you."

"I almost wonder..."

"What?"

"I think you play a virgin in the light, but a harlot in the night."

Éponine's eyes widened, "How dare you."

"I just make an observation. Which still does not explain why a man of wealth would marry you. A street urchin."

"Because not everything is about class."

"Then what is it about?"

"Companionship and love. Two things you will never be capable of learning."

"How could someone love a _bitch_ like you?" Montparnasse cackled, fidgeting with his cravat. "Perhaps want to use you like one."

Éponine bit her lip, cross her good arm across her stomach. "Please leave me alone."

"I will have you know that you are on the fourth floor of this garret," He replied coldly as he strode to the door. "You will be locked within this room."

"As long as a there is a door keeping you from me." She snarled in response.

"Oh, the day when I can get a hold of you." He slammed the door, the sound of the key turning echoing through the room.

Éponine sank into the bed, crying for God to save her before Montparnasse got a hold of her.

~o~

"Enjolras!" Marius pounded his fist against the door of his friend's flat. "Enjolras!"

The door opened quickly, "What is it? Have you found her?"

"No." Marius slipped inside the door. "But I have an answer for where she might be. Her sister-"

"Azelma?"

"Yes, her sister spoke to me at the Inn. She said there was some man, a Montpa-"

"Montparnasse?" Enjolras' eyes turned violent, his fists clenching.

"Let me finish. She says that the man Montparnasse was sent to scavenge the casualties of war. He went to the sewers. Azelma says that he has been lusting for 'Ponine for some time and it is possible that he found her and has taken her as his prize of war."

"I shouldn't have left her!" Enjolras held his head, "Where would he have taken."

"Azelma could not say. She did not know." Marius sighed, "But it is something! It narrows down the possibilities."

"We need to go and find if there have been any carriages leaving town."

"Enjolras, with the war every smart nobleman took his carriage and left in every direction."

"Then we will search each town until we find her."


	13. Chapter 13

Enjolras and Marius spent the week searching town to town looking for anyone who might have seen Éponine and Montparnasse. No one had heard of Montparnasse in any of the towns. They had searched Neuilly-sur-Seine, Levaollis-Perrett, Boulonge-Billancourt, Issy-les-Moulineaux and countless other towns to the north of Paris without a single answer.

When all they needed to do was go to south of Paris to find their Éponine.

~o~

Éponine had awoken early in the morning violently sick to her stomach. What little food she had eaten the night before came up with a burning mix of bile. Whatever he had fed to her must have not agreed with her stomach.

Her arm had just started to feel better and now she was being faced with being sick to her stomach.

Éponine retched again, losing her stomach. What was wrong with her?

"Montparnasse!" She called, admitting defeat. "Montparnasse!"

"What do you want?" He growled as he entered the room after a few moments. "What's wrong?"

"I am ill, obviously." She snapped as she heaved, "Please fetch the doctor." Éponine closed her eyes in pain, "Please."

"What will you do for me?" He laughed, as he watched her retch again.

"Anything," Éponine shuddered as her stomach heaved again. In such pain she would have sold her soul for relief.

"Then it will be my pleasure." Montparnasse purred as he left the room.

Nothing mattered right now except making the pain stop.

~o~

By the time that the doctor had arrived at the garret, the retching had stopped. Éponine was lying in the bed asleep when he arrived, utterly worn out by the morning.

"What were you symptoms mademoiselle?"

"Madame," She corrected, "I woke up this morning feeling ill, then I retched up bile several times."

"Madame Montparnasse?" Éponine's eyes shot to 'Parnasse, he grinned at her and nodded his head. She shrugged and nodded, afraid of what would happen if she did not agree. "Has your marriage been consummated?"

Éponine blushed, wringing her hands together. "No." She lied, glancing up at 'Parnasse. She wished he would stop giving her such disgusting smiles.

"Then I would suspect that you are just ill with a sort of imbalance due to your injury. If your marriage had been consummated then I would believe that you could be with child. It is common for a woman to become ill in the mornings in the beginning of her pregnancy."

Éponine gulped, knowing the truth. "Yes, it must just be something to do with my injury."

A child?

~o~

"We have to find her Marius," Enjolras ran his hands through his hair as they sat in an Inn south of Paris. "A week has passed, who knows what the man is doing to my wife."

"There are several handfuls of towns he could have taken her to, Enjolras. Even then in a week's time he could have taken her farther than we are looking."

"Are you saying that this is a waste of our time?"

"No, but this is not going to be easy. If we had contacted the gendarmes as soon as she had vanished and had them searchi-"

"They wouldn't have cared about her, Marius. She is of little importance to them." Enjolras sighed, rubbing his face frustrated. "We _will_ find her."

Enjolras would never forgive himself if he never found her. Why would God let him love her like he did only to take her away before he could give his full attention to her.

"We will continue looking then."

~o~

"Did you lie?"

"What?" Éponine glared across the room at 'Parnasse.

"About 'our' marriage?"

"We have certainly not consummated this enslavement, and you took me from my husband before we had a chance." She shivered as she remembered Enjolras and her in their passionate embrace. "If anything I am ill from all of this lying around in one room. Can you not let me go outside?"

"You will run." He snapped, watching as she rose out of the bed.

"Please." She said softly, giving him her best attempt at begging.

"Do not try me."

"You would not want me to die would you?"

He narrowed his eyes, "Open a window and get over it." He turned on his heels, leaving her alone in the room again.

For the first time Éponine was able to rest her hand on her stomach without scrutinizing eyes. "Hello little one. Is there really someone in there? Or just an empty fantasy." She stroked her stomach softly, "Before today you could have asked me if I wanted children and I would have laughed coldly, but now – God please let it be."

She shook her head, trying to lose the dream that she could see in her mind's eyes of Enjolras teaching their child to read while she was holding the infant in her arms, with his arms around them both protectively. Hoping only wounds the heart.

Pushing the window up with her good arm, she longingly looked out at the busy street. The people were bustling around; those who had come to hide from the war had brought the little town to life. She admired the sounds and sights of the people. Longing to be part of them and not trapped in this garret with Montparnasse.

Before today she would have risked her life to leap out of the window, just to get away – but now there could be a second life to worry about. The life that could be her last connection to Enjolras.

She brushed a hot tear from her cheek as it trailed down her face.

Éponine noticed two people in the street below. Two people who seemed very familiar to her. A man and his daughter.

"Cosette!" She shouted without thinking about Montparnasse hearing her. "Cosette!"

The blonde haired girl and her father looked up at her shouts. "Éponine." She said quietly to her father. "I knew her as a child and.."

"What are you doing?" Montparnasse growled, bursting thru the door. "You little whore, trying to call attention to you!"

"Help me!" She screamed as he ripped her from the window and throwing her onto the bed.

Valjean called for gendarmes, but none seemed interested in something he had suspected was going on in a garret.

"Father you must do something. That man is not the man that Marius says she is married to."

"Who is Marius?"

Cosette looked down, "A boy from Paris. But it is not important. Please."

Valjean gave his daughter a fleeting glance. If he broke into that house without knowing for certain what was going he could be sent back to jail and leave his dearest Cosette alone.

Éponine screamed as Montparnasse pushed her down on the bed, his hands groping her roughly. "You have tried my patience long enough." He began to slide his hand from her calf up her leg, pushing her dress up as he went.

"Let go of me!" She screamed and kicked trying to lose him.

The door to the room burst open, Valjean rushing in. "Unhand that woman." He pulled 'Parnasse from Éponine's screaming body, throwing him to the floor. "That is not how you treat a woman!"

"Bastard!" Éponine spat, trying to regain her composure. "Oh monsieur!" She stumbled to her feet, ever grateful for her saviour.

"Go, I will take care of him."

**A/N: Bet you weren't expecting Valjean to save the day! (: Eponine Thenadier I wish you weren't set as Anon so I could talk to you!**


	14. Chapter 14

Éponine ran from the house as fast as she could, desperate to be free from her imprisonment.

"Éponine!" Cosette grabbed her as she fled from the house.

"Cosette!" Éponine hugged her desperately, crying hysterically. "I am sorry for everything I did to you as a child!"

"Please calm down Éponine." Cosette laughed softly, pulling her away from her. "My father?"

"He told me to go, he came just in time. Thank you."

"What was happening?"

"Cosette, I was taken from Paris by 'Parnasse. He was angered because I had yelled from the window. Oh, he tried to force himself upon me."

"You are safe now." Cosette took a hold of Éponine's hands. "Do you know anything of Marius?"

Éponine stopped, swallowing hard. "I do not even know if my own husband survived the war."

Valjean ran from the building, "We must go before he regains consciousness."

"Father, we must return to Paris." She stared at him, her eyes pleading him. "Please father."

"Come, we must go. We are drawing too much attention."

~o~

"Where are going next?" Marius asked Enjolras as they left the Inn to board the next carriage leaving.

"Cherenton-le-Pont." He replied, praying silently that this would be the place where they would find her.

~o~

"Thank Monsieur, thank you." Éponine smiled at Valjean as their carriage set off, destined for Paris. "Who knows what would have happened if you had not arrived at that moment." She placed her hand on her stomach protectively, silently asking the possible baby if it was scared.

"It is Cosette you should thank, she insisted." Valjean responded, taking his daughter's hand into his own.

"After how I treated you as a child, it is funny how life turns." Éponine held her arm suddenly, the adrenaline starting to edge off and the pain set back in.

"You're hurt?"

"It's an old wound now; I got it at the Barricade." She shrugged, taking slow breaths. "I was stitched up and taken care of already. I just want to go home." Éponine rested her cheek against the back of the seat. This wasn't like her ride to Cherenton-le-Pont where she was afraid of what might happen, this time she felt safe.

~o~

"Éponine," Cosette shook her arm gently, "We are in Paris. The carriage drove straight through the night and through most of the day. Father, promised to pay him extra."

Éponine sat up, looking out the window. "We're here already?"

Valjean laughed, "Yes. You have been asleep for the journey."

"A week with little sleep."

"I can understand," Cosette sighed, "Please tell Marius to find me."

"Where is it that you live?"

Éponine looked out of the window, "Just a few streets down on the right. Thank you."

Cosette held her father's hand, "I am sorry I have not told you more about my friend Marius. Father, I love him. And if he lives we are to marry."

Éponine bit her lip, trying not to let the jealousy set in. How could she still feel for Marius when she could be pregnant with Marius' child? Marius had been downright cruel to her when he had kissed her, how could she care? Why did he still make her yearn for what had never happened?

Valjean leaned up to tell the driver where to go.

She stroked her fingers over her stomach again, pressing her fingertips against the fabric there.

"Are you alright?" Cosette questioned, glancing at Éponine.

"I am just thinking." She pulled her hand away quickly, brushing her fingers through her hair.

"You slept with your hand over your stomach the whole journey," Valjean nudged her daughter to stop talking. "I am just making an observation."

"I am sorry, it is none of our business."

"No.. It's alright. I just, I found out that I may be having a child. Which is very startling when we married we agreed not to have children. Especially now that I do not know whether he lives or not. And besides, I do not know if I really am with child or just ill. Only time will tell."

The carriage slowed to a stop, "Your home."

"Thank you both," Éponine smiled as she pushed the door open. She didn't know what Paris would hold for her, but she knew she was ready to face it.

~o~

"The Montparnasse family has a home here," Enjolras exclaimed, running from the Inn where he'd been questioning the Inn Keeper, "Monsieur, take us to the square." He leapt into the carriage, holding on as it took off towards where the garret was.

"When I get my hands on him, I am going to kill him."

"I will gladly help," Marius retorted, patting Enjolras on the back.

Once the carriage arrived at the garret the wasted no time rushing in, and breaking into the house under the cloak of darkness. They found the door already broken; someone else had broke in before them.

"Montparnasse it would do well for you come out from where ever you are hiding!" Enjolras yelled, as they looked around the garret. "I will kill you!"

"There," Marius stilled his friend hearing a noise coming from the parlour room. "The rat is amongst us."

Enjolras stormed through the doors, "We meet at last, face to face. Where is Éponine?"

"Leave me alone! The whore is not worth my troubles!" Montparnasse shouted, from where he sat in his wing chair drinking. "Just leave me be."

"Where is my wife?" Enjolras took no time before he was ripping him up by the collar of his shirt. "Where is she?"

"A man came and took her."

"A man?" Enjolras gritted thru his teeth. "How convenient."

"I know him from Paris, he owes Thénardier. He has a pretty daughter."

Enjolras dropped him, kicking him once he hit the ground. "I'm not killing you only because God would be displeased with me. And he has provided Éponine with a saviour."

**A/N: Question? Should she be with child? Or not?**


	15. Chapter 15

Carriages take too long and Enjolras was in far too much of a hurry to wait around for the next one to return to Cherenton-le-Pont and wait for it make the deathly slow journey back to Paris. He chose, instead, to pay to burrow a carriage horse. Marius had chosen to stay and wait for the carriage, rather than ride off into the night on a horse in unfamiliar territory.

He wished him well as he tore off into the night, pressing the horse to use every ounce of speed to shorten the many our journey.

~o~

"Enjolras?" Éponine called as she ran up the stairs from the store that led up into the small flat. The door was carelessly left unlocked as she pushed thru. He wasn't there.

Of course he wasn't here, because if he was that would be easy. That would be the novel version of their story.

Had Enjolras survived the war? She was certain she had locked the door when she had left for the Barricade. Perhaps, he had come and looked for her and then left in a rush.

Éponine walked in, how could this little flat she's been living in for a month or so bring so much comfort?

But comfort aside she was going to be ill again. Éponine covered her mouth, rushing into their bedroom to find the chamber pot. She heaved and gagged, her stomach purging itself. She hadn't eaten much over the last week, not like she had become more accustomed to eating. Her stomach must be screaming because of the way she had been treating it. Or the doctor had been correct and she was with child.

Every time that Éponine though that it was over, she would curl into their bed holding her stomach in pain. It would only last mere minutes before she was heaving over the chamber pot again.

When the nausea had passed she was finally able to let the exhaustion take over and find rest and comfort in their bed. But it would never be as comfortable without Enjolras.

~o~

Enjolras rode throughout the night as fast and as hard as the horse would gallop. He was not interested in wasting time to get back to his wife. Had she managed to get to Paris safely in the company of Cosette and her father? They seemed like good people who would have cared for Éponine. What kind of state had she been found in? What unspeakable things had Montparnasse done to her?

Who had ever said that a marriage was only whole if the vows had been said before a man of God? Because without all of the vows they thought their marriage would go without, they had already been thru nearly all of them.

He could see Paris before him, basked in the light of the new morning that was rising. This would be the morning that he would find Éponine. No more looking, just finding. Finding her had become more important than the war had ever been. She had changed his priorities and she had changed him.

He once was a man who found his pleasures in novels and learning, a man who only ever wanted to be alone with himself. He knew he only needed himself to be happy. But then in one swift evening he had realised just how alone he was making himself. They had always been friends, gotten along, laughed at how some of the boys around the cafe got. She had always just been there.

Now he knew what it felt like to be with her. Novels fell short in comparison to the real thing. Even love felt different from what he had read about. Love was all engulfing. It made you think over every decision you made to think how it would affect the one you loved. It set his soul on fire.

Enjolas dismounted the horse, bounding up the stairs of the shop – hearing the blurred sound of the old lady's welcome. He fumbled with the lock, turning his key and pushing it open. "Éponine!" He shouted as he ran into the flat. Éponine jumped from her sleep at the shout of her name, rushing out of the bedroom.

Time stopped.

There they were, face to face after a week apart. Nothing had changed; not the feelings and emotions that stirred in them when they saw each other. They moved to meet each other half way; the space between them was killing them.

"Enjolras." Éponine smiled as she jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly with her good arm.

"Éponine." He murmured into her hair, kissing the top of her head. He ran his hands over her back, checking to make sure she was really there. Enjolras pulled her back and looked down at her, "I've finally found you." He let out a shaky breath, laughing and smiling.

"I love you." She said softly leaning up to press her lips against his, "I love you." She repeated between kisses. The excitement of him being there making her tremble.

"I love you," He cupped her chin, savouring her lips slowly. "So much." Enjolras pulled her flush against him, running his hand up and down her back. "I need to sit." He said, feeling his legs give from the night of riding.

"Sit then." She smiled at him, laughing as he pulled them both back into the chair behind him. "Are you alright?" Éponine asked, stroking his cheek as he caught his breath.

"I'm more than alright now," He grinned, running his hand through her hair. Relishing in the feel of her soft hair beneath his fingers. "Are you alright?"

Éponine nodded, her mind instantly turning how to tell him about her illness and possible pregnancy.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, Cosette's father saved me just in time." She ran her hand across his chest, resting her hand on his shoulder. "How did you find me."

"Marius and I have been searching from town to town for you," Enjolras leaned up to kiss her gently. "I found 'Parnasse last night he said that Valjean was bringing you back to Paris so I road throughout the night."

"We must have just missed each other in Cherenton-le-Pont." Éponine laughed, resting her head against his shoulder. "But now you're here."

"I was so afraid for you," He stroked her back, kissing the side of her head. "I was afraid at what he might do."

"My wound saved me. And," She pulled back looking at him gravely, "yesterday I woke up sick to my stomach and 'Parnasse fetched a doctor."

"Are you well?"

"The doctor said that he would suspect had my marriage been consummated that I could be..." She gulped.

"Éponine?" His head cocked to the side and his eyes wandered from her face to her stomach, where her hand rested.

"I do not know for sure, but again I was ill this morning."

"You did not want this." He shook his head, his eyes closing.

"The idea of a child has changed in my mind. It is something I want." She nudged his chin up. "Do you want this?"

Enjolras placed his hand over her stomach, a smile spreading on his lips. "It was never part of my plans but," He leaned towards her, pressing a hot kiss to her lips, "Yes."

Éponine grinned against his lips, wrapping her hand around the base of his neck, leaning into the kiss. His hands ran down her sides, pulling her more into his lap. "And even if I am not," She pulled back for a moment, "I want the dream of you holding me in your arms, as I hold our baby in my arms. I want that dream to come true."

**A/N: I am good (: Also I made some "posters" for my stories. And a picture of me as Éponine is provided too. Send me a PM on what you think of the posters! Thanks for the AMAZING reviews!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Eponine Thenadier: I did really want Montparnasse to rape Éponine, but I chose the easy way out which is not what I normally like doing when I write – however there is a possibility for an alternate story that I'm working on for what would have happened if 'Parnasse had raped her. (: Which should be coming out soonish. But that story will probably be "M". I'm glad you liked seeing the girl behind the screen! When I used to be on graphic forums it used to be so hard to think of people as people and not as their icons so I love letting people know what I look like and who I am! For the most part (: **

**~o~**

Éponine lay tightly coiled in Enjolras' arms. He had been completely worn out from his journey back to the city and his many sleepless days and nights. She could not sleep, to anxious to find rest. Just feeling his strong arms around her and his body curled against her was enough for her. She just wanted to relish in the feel of him being there.

She couldn't forget the way Montparnasse had touched her in his anger. The way he forced her down against the bed, pinning her with his weight and his size. His grimy hands had touched her in places where only Enjolras had touched her. Where only Enjolras was allowed to touch her.

She shuddered at the memory, thanking God that Valjean had rescued her before it was too late. Before Montparnasse violated her completely.

Éponine rolled over in Enjolras' arms so that she could face him. His face twitched in his sleep, making her smile. He was everything she had wanted in the man she would marry. He was brave and strong, he was gentle and kind, he was handsome and accepting, he was intelligent and he did not scrutinize.

She pressed her lips against his lips, not really thinking it through that it would wake him up. His eyes fluttered open, surprised by her waking him up like that. He had to admit that if he was going to be waked up, this was a pleasant way.

"Sorry," She blushed, letting her chin drop to her chest. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It was a nice thing to wake to," He pressed a kiss to her forehead, leaving his lips there for a long moment. He wrapped his arm over her waist, scooting closer to her. "I have missed you."

Éponine chuckled, moving her hips with a playful smile, "I can tell."

"Are you saying that what happened before the war was not just desperation to try to make me stay?" He brushed her curls from her cheeks, leaning up on one elbow.

Éponine blushed fiercely, "It was not a mistake, Enjolras. That memory coursed through my veins and kept me alive." She bit her lip as she played with the collar of his shirt, shifting to alleviate the pressure on her wounded arm that was trapped between her and the mattress. "Enjolras, 'Parnasse nearly," She gulped, whispering the next words, "raped me."

Enjolras hugged her to his chest tightly, as if holding her would make the truth of the matter disappear.

"But he didn't. Valjean arrived _just _in time. His hands, Enjolras, his hands touched me-" Éponine broke off, feeling a sob rise in her throat. "His hands groped me and touched me."

Enjolras frowned, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "That's over now. You are here with me now." He could feel his heart aching to take the pain that she was feeling. "It's not your fault. You had no control over what that bastard did. I can make you forget it all." He wanted to trace his hands over every part of her that 'Parnasse had violated and replace that vile memory with one of pleasure and love.

"Enjolras," She murmured leaning in to press her lips against his. The passion he returned in the kiss surprised her.

Enjolras had always taken care of things that belonged to him, he never folded down the corners of his books, and he kept them dry and kept them safe. He only let those he knew he could trust borrow his books. But she was not like his books he was not letting anyone else borrow her.

He rolled on top of her, careful not to hurt her arm anymore than it already was. His mouth never broke contact with hers, his tongue delving into her willing mouth.

They had time to explore each other now. There was no impending war, no one needed her leadership. They had all of the time in the world to learn every plane and every curve of each other, every place to touch to elicit sweet sighs and moans, all of the time to erase the memory of another man's hands.

**A/N: Cut before I have to change the rating of this story! Let your fantasies unwind! Sorry for it being a bit shorter. I wrote a 2k chapter for my Phan/Miz crossover. And have two papers for Uni to get on!**


	17. Chapter 17

Enjolras and Éponine spent the remainder of the day wrapped in every inch of each other as completely as they could. Between sleeping soundly and finding comfort in each other, the day passed by quickly.

The days bled into weeks and the weeks bled into months.

Éponine's morning sickness persisted and after a month she discovered that her cycle had been disrupted. All of the symptoms proved that she was not just ill but that she was with child.

Their dreams were no longer filled with their original promises of companionship and friendship, but it was now flooded with the thoughts of a child, of a family, and of the love they discovered was true.

A child would change everything. Éponine had seen it happen in so many marriages, a child caused a strain. The husband and wife were now no longer one person, but two people caring for their child. The child would take on the love they had once shared. That thought terrified Éponine. Their marriage hadn't been formed on the normal outlines and she wondered if it had the strength to last.

Enjolras was hesitant at the thought of raising a child. The boys of the ABC Cafe had been the closest thing to raising children and in the end he had seen them all meet their untimely ends. He loved Éponine, he was sure of that now. But would that change when a child was brought into the world?

"How are you this morning?" Enjolras asked softly as he wrapped an arm around her, nuzzling her neck. "Did you sleep well?"

Éponine purred, lacing her fingers with his. "I slept better than normal."

Enjolras ran his hand over her growing stomach, "How is our baby?"

"Nice and cosy and doesn't want me to get up." Éponine laughed, turning over on her back. "How about you, since we're going through the ranks."

"I come last?" He smiled, pressing a kiss to her lips. "It could be worse." Enjolras smirked, cupping her cheek gently. "I want to go to the cabinet maker today and order a crib."

"I would like that." She traced the curve of his lips with her finger. She leaned up and kissed him again, "We should get up now or we'll never get up."

"Madame DuFarge brought us up a hearty breakfast of porridge and day old bread. Our favourite." Enjolras chuckled, tapping her nose and pulling her up with him. "You're getting bigger every day."

Éponine gave him a hurt look, "Thank you for pointing out my ever growing size."

"Just means you're getting fed well and the baby's growing."

"I know, I know." She replied, running her hand over the noticeable bump. "We should stop by the Inn."

"I would care to never have to set foot in there again. If _he_ is still loitering around your father I may be tempted to finish off what I started."

"I can't let go what happened until you do too." Éponine sighed as she started lacing her dress up. "It is in our past now, I cannot ignore my family because of what happened with 'Parnasse."

"What would have happened if he had raped you Éponine," Enjolras wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. "If he had hurt you, I would have hunted him down and killed him."

"But he didn't. You can't dwell on the past not with such a bright future ahead of us." Éponine laughed as fumbled with the laces of her dress, trying to help her but only tying them wrong. "Still haven't learned how tie them right?"

"I'm more interested on untying them normally." He kissed her cheek, leaving the room to go and get their breakfast.

~o~

Éponine and Enjolras strolled along the streets of Paris, making their way to the cabinet maker that he insisted was the best that he could afford in town. The craftsman was an older man who said it was a nice change to be making a bassinet and not a coffin for someone's son or husband that had died in the war.

"My parents?" Éponine asked, seeing the Inn not far up the road from them.

"Must we?"

"Please, they are my parents. It would do us well to go and flaunt this in front of them."

Enjolras sighed, thinking it through in his mind. "At the very first sign of your father trying to get me to pay for you, we are leaving. You're father is a cold and heartless man."

"But he did one thing right in this world."

"What was that?"

"You don't know?" Éponine teased, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Oh," Enjolras laughed, "that."

"Just let me talk. I think you may irritate him with your poise and intelligence."

"Fine."

It had been months since she had seen her family, she admittedly missed her sister more than her parents. The life she had led before was nothing she ever wanted to revist, not with the new life she led. But she didn't want to lose every connection she had. Not even her father, no matter how vile and insufferable he could be.

"Father?" Éponine called as she walked through the doors of the Inn. There were no road-worn travellers bustling around or drunken patrons, it was too early in the morning for the lot who were usually there.

"Éponine!" Azelma appeared from the back room, running across the Inn towards her sister. "It's you! It's really you!"

Éponine hugged her sister tightly, happy to have her back in her arms again. "Azelma, I have missed you!"

"Is this him?"

"My husband, Enjolras Baudin." She smiled, placing her hand on her stomach, "And the father of my child."

"But you told me that you that the marriage was to keep you from becoming a pro-"

Azelma was cut off by Thénardier appearing from the back room. "Well, well, well what have we here? My daughter and that owes me a lot of money."

"I owe you nothing," Enjolras retorted, wrapping a protective arm around her waist.

"But you both owe me." From one of the more secluded tables, Montparnasse appeared with a smug and prideful grin.

**A/N: Sooooo, today I found out that one of my dearest guy friends played Montparnasse once. He's the sweetest guy and he's attractive and like a lean and tall teddy bear! It made me feel terrible about the way I portray him in my stories. Except for **_**To a Night at the Opera**_** because I portray Eppie different too. Lol _ But anyways. What did you think? **_**Inconvenience**_** is up too! I love having three stories going at the same time! **

**P.S. I only portray Montparnasse like an ugly old man because there's no younger man in the 25****th**** anniversary in the Plumet Attack scene. **


	18. Chapter 18

"Montparnasse." Enjolras gritted, his grip tightening around Éponine's waist.

"Well, I see someone lied." Montparnasse laughed, jeering at Éponine. "And you said the he hadn't been hungry for a poke."

Éponine swallowed hard, "I didn't feel the need to tell you about my private life."

Enjolras clenched his fist, fighting everything in his body that told him to ring 'Parnasse's neck. The first time he had seen him he wanted to give him a piece of his mind, the second time he was too worried about finding Éponine that even though he wanted kill him, and now nothing was holding him back from doing all of the above.

"You are a sick bastard." Enjolras lunged at him; swing his fist at his jaw. "Twisted bastard."

"At least I'm not stuck with the little whore," Montparnasse growled, deflecting Enjolras' fist and returning the favour with his own fist.

The scuffle continued as they twisted and turned, swinging punches at each other left and right.

"Enjolras!" Éponine gasped, trying to break them apart.

"Don't touch me," Montparnasse shoved Éponine away, causing her to lose her footing.

"Éponine!" Enjolras turned his attention back towards her, leaning down to see if she was alright, "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Éponine replied, rubbing her hand over her stomach. Montparnasse pulled a knife from the leg of pants, the blade glistened in the lantern light. "Enjolras watch out!"

Enjolras turned to see 'Parnasse coming at him with the knife, he punched his hand away and taking the knife in his hand. "Stay away from my wife!" Enjolras kneed 'Parnasse, pulling around him to hold the knife to his neck. "I never want to see your face again, leave Paris and never come back or I _will_ kill you" Enjolras let the knife dig into his skin enough to leave a thin bleeding line.

Montparnasse stumbled to the ground, "Just think, little 'Ponine, that baby could have been mine." He laughed cruelly before hurrying out of the Inn before Enjolras could get a hold of him again. "You've not seen the last of me."

"Are you alright?" Éponine asked Enjolras as Azelma helped her up. He leaned against the bar and nodded, out of breath.

"Best be glad there were no damages," **Thenadier** said, glaring at Enjolras. "Besides running off one of my best customers."

"I am not paying you, or anyone for that matter, any money." Enjolras retorted, giving Éponine a smile as she checked his face over. "You alright?" He placed his hand on her stomach, giving it a gentle stroke.

"More worried for you than anything else." Éponine turned to look at her father, "Why must you insist that everyone owes you something?"

"Because they do." He laughed, patting his daughter on the head. "He's not paying me for you. I could have got a pretty amount out of 'Parnasse for yo-"

"But you didn't," Éponine snapped, pushing his hand away from her. "And you aren't."

"If you had become the classy prostitute I know you could've been, I would've been getting half yer pay. Easy money lying on a bed, something I see you're doing for free."

"Life's not about money or besting each other, it's about the wealth of your love and best of each other."

Madame Thénardier started clapping, "My little 'Ponine sounding just like the girl she was named after." She gave Enjolras a toothy grin, "I'd be all about lying around with him too. Is he as grand as he looks like he'd be?"

"Please." Éponine covered her face ashamed by her family. "Stop."

"Harmless question, no need to go and bite m'head off." Madame Thénardier wiggled her eyebrows at Enjolras, "However I wouldn't mind bite'n you-"

"Enough!" Éponine warned, taking Enjolras by the hand. "Why can you not respect our marriage? Sure, I never married him expecting love or children or happiness – I married him because I wanted to get away from all of you and make a life for myself. But things change, people change, ideas change. I love Enjolras, I love this life I have, I even love that I'm going to be a mother. But, I just need your respect and your happiness for me, like a normal family."

Enjolras gave her hand a squeeze, "You're daughter is well cared for and well loved by me. She will never want for anything. We are equal."

"Equal?" Thénardier laughed, "She can't read or write."

"We're working on that." Enjolras replied with a hint of anger in his voice. "I do not need your warm wishes and respect in our marriage, but for the sake of your daughter I beg that you do."

Éponine wrapped her arm around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder. "Thank you."

Madame Thénardier made a loud sniffling sound, "Go on then dear, wish the little love birds well."

"Woman!" He groaned, "Yea, yea, yea we wish you the warmest, most sickening, wishes."

"Thank you!" Éponine hugged her father, who just stood stiffly.

"Thank you," Enjolras added, watching Éponine go to hug her mother next. Her happiness was enough to make him feel happy too.

"You did well, kid." Her mother laughed, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Never thought my little 'Ponine would catch herself a handsome mister. Thought you'd get stuck with the louse I did."

Éponine laughed softly, "Making a new name for us!"

"Are you ready Éponine?" Enjolras questioned, edging closer towards the door.

"Just a moment," She replied, turning to Azelma. "My sister, if you ever need me I live just a few roads away, above Madame Cecile's shop."

"I will remember that," Azelma hugged her sister tightly, not wanting to let her go. "I miss you."

"I miss you too." Éponine silently chuckled when she saw Enjolras taking little steps towards the door. "I should go."

"Good-bye." Azelma said, watching Éponine leave with Enjolras.

"Weren't you desperate to leave?"

"I thought your Mother might try to capture me in an embrace and not let go." Enjolras gave her a wide-eyed look. "She pinched me when you were saying thank you to your father."

Éponine burst into a fit of laughter, "She's always looking for attractive men."

"So I count as an attractive man?" He questioned innocently, giving her a wink.

"Yes very!"

**A/N: Dun, dun, dunnnn. You will not see the last Montparnasse yet! Any ideas for what could happen next?**


	19. Author's Note

**A/N: I'm sorry it's taken awhile to update, I've been on a **_**To a Night at the Opera**_** (Phantom/Miz crossover) kick lately. As for **_**Inconvenience**_** I just basically decided I did not like the story that much or the way it was going. For other E/E stories check out my other stories!**

**I'm really stuck right now with **_**Convenience**_** because I know exactly what I want to happen eventually but I don't want to skip that far ahead. I need to think more about what exactly is going on. **


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